Court books Amravati varsity's ex-registrar for cheating

AMRAVATI: A local court has registered non-bailable offences of cheating and submitting fake bills against Amravati University's former registrar Dinesh Kumar Joshi and served notice to him.

Judge Pragati Hirlekar yesterday registered the offences under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the IPC against Joshi, the former registrar of Sant Gadge Baba Amravati, following a complaint against him by suspended varsity lecturer Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Prasad had filed the complaint against Joshi for allegedly taking leave travel allowance (LTA) from the varsity by submitting fake travel bills.

While working as registrar, Joshi had availed the LTA showing his train journey to his native place Haridwar from Nagpur between December 24 and 28, 2010 in an AC coach.

He had allegedly submitted fake bills to the university and drawn an LTA of Rs 13,360.

During this period, Joshi was cited in the varsity welcoming the then vice chancellor of Nagpur University.

Later, Prasad collected information under the RTI Act and lodged a complaint with Frezerpura police against Joshi.

However, the then police chief refused to registered offences against Joshi saying that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Chancellor.

Following this, Prasad approached the court.

Joshi had refunded the money to the varsity after the matter was highlighted in media.